


cruise control

by iwriteaboutthegays



Category: Steven Universe - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cruise Ships, F/F, F/M, Homophobia, Human AU, Romantic Tension, Sexual Tension, also jaspers a dick, blue has a heart of gold, eventual angst, it’s lapis and peridot pining for each other, lapis is just a homeless kid with a massive heart, while steven plays wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21663946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwriteaboutthegays/pseuds/iwriteaboutthegays
Summary: After boarding the wrong boat, with his parents going to a completely separate location, Steven and his babysitter Peridot have to rely on each other and a blue haired longshoreman with a heart of gold to get to Miami for Christmas
Relationships: Greg Universe/Rose Quartz, Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	cruise control

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y’all!! Before we begin, here’s some mandatory information:
> 
> Steven is ten, Peridot is his babysitter of three years 
> 
> Peridot is seventeen, and a lesbian. She comes from a wealthy family.
> 
> Lapis is seventeen, a lesbian and a runaway. However, she came across Blue Diamond, a woman who couldn’t have children and happens to be a captain on one of the many Homeworld Cruises ships. Lapis reminded her a bit of herself when she was younger, and she agreed to offer her the job of a casual longshoreman and allow her to sleep on the ships. Though she’s never really had a home and is in a new place every few days, she’s happy. 
> 
> The Universes and Peridot live in Maine
> 
> Annnnnddddd on with the story :)

“Steven, come on! Your parents are gonna kill me if we miss the boat!” Peridot tapped her foot impatiently on the marble floor, her arms crossed as she waited, staring expectantly at the stairs. There was a loud thud, and the blonde winced as she heard a moan of pain.

“Sorry, Peri! I had to find my christmas socks, but then I tripped over my suitcase!” The boy raced down the stairs, dragging his overstuffed suitcase behind him, the yellow bag bouncing off of each step. He made a final leap from the third to last step, dramatically landing beside her. Peridot simply rolled her eyes, trying to fight the amused smile twitching at her lips.

“Steven, we’re going to Miami, do you really need obnoxious fuzzy socks?”

Steven gasped in offense, putting a hand to his chest. “Of course I do! Christmas is only in a few weeks! I have to be in the spirit!”

Peridot snickered at the boy, shaking her head as she swung her black duffel bag over her shoulder and nodded to the door. “Come on, christmas boy; we’re gonna be late.” She opened the door, holding it open as Steven leapt out, bounding to the van Greg had let Peridot borrow and threw his suitcase in the trunk. Peridot locked them door behind her, strolling to the car as she grimaced at the snow crunching beneath her feet. She hated the winter, especially when the air was dry and her skin dried out, and not to mention the frigid weather. She couldn’t wait to be in florida.

As she hopped in the van, she shivered at the snow that had fallen onto her seat from the car door, now soaking her leggings. She started the van, feeling it tremble as the engine roared; and pulled out of the drive way, speeding down the road to the docks.

“Oh, Peri! I bet there’s christmas music on the radio! Let’s check!” Steven jumped up, an excited grin on his face as he played with the dial, eventually landing on a “24 hour christmas songs” station. Peridot sighed as the boy sung along to jingle bells, shaking her head at Steven’s terrible pitch.

After a torturous twenty minute car ride, the two pulled up to the shipyard, parking the van as close as they could and turning off the car. Peridot grabbed the keys, stuffing them in her sweatshirt pocket and looking at Steven, who was swinging his feet in excitement. The blonde smirked at him, ruffling his curly hair and grinning at his playful protesting. She let the boy go, checking to make sure they weren’t forgetting anything before popping the trunk and hopping out of the car.

The blonde crossed her arms, trembling from the cold wind as she waited for Steven to finish hauling his suitcase out of the trunk, the boy finally yanking it out and falling with it, landing with a painful thud on black ice. Peridot flipped around, her eyes widening as Steven lay on the ground, moaning in pain.

“Shit kid, are you alright?”

Peridot turned to see a girl, around her age hoisting herself off of what looked to be a large crate of some kind. She had short, messy blue hair which seemed to be sticking out in all directions, her clothes, which consisted of a worn, oversized gray sweatshirt and ripped jeans, which Peridot noted, looked to be ripped from falling due to the cuts visible under the holes. She jogged over to the two, getting on her knees to check on Steven.

Steven, tears in his eyes looked up at the strange girl, sniffling. “I-I slipped and fell and now my back feels broken! Is my spine snapped in half?” The boy’s voice raised to a wail, fearfully looking back at Peridot. The blonde’s eyes were as wide as Steven’s, biting her lip in fear.

“Oh my god, what if your back’s broken? What if you never walk again and it’s my fault because I didn’t see the ice and warn you? Your parents are gonna kill me! What if you pulled a-“

“Alright, nervous nancy calm down; his spine isn’t broken, trust me.” She turned back to Steven, her eyes softening a bit as she smiled and held her hand out. “Can you try and stand for me, kiddo?” Steven sniffled, nodding fearfully, holding onto the girl for support. “Alright, one, two, three.” With a grunt, Steven got to his feet, clinging on to the blue haired girl for support. He eventually let go, rubbing his back. He seemed to be a bit calmer, but the lingering sniffles were still relevant. “There we go! Look at you, didn’t even stumble; I’m impressed, kiddo!”

Steven smiled shyly, wiping his nose with his sleeve and blinking the tears out of his eyes. “Thanks, miss!” His eyes darkened, his hands fumbling under his winter coat, brushing over the skin of his back. “Do you think I have a nasty scar? Is it gonna get infected?” He asked, getting worked up again. Peridot opened her mouth to speak, but the stranger beat her to it. “Well, let’s check the damage. I doubt there’s anything, maybe a little bruising but that’s probably it.” The girl looked to Peridot, who stared back, now getting to actually observe her face. She had a slim face, her cheekbones jutting out a bit too much to be considered healthy, hazel brown eyes, a small nose with a ring in the left side, and a sharp chin. The blonde noticed a lack of makeup, which surprised her; the girl seemed to be more of the goth side.

“Earth ti Peri!” Peridot jumped at Steven’s shout, turning to see the boy staring at her, worry in his eyes. “Are you okay? You just zoned out for thirty seconds.”

Peridot nodded, her face heating with embarrassment as she avoided the bluenette’s curious gaze. “Yeah, just thinking. What were you saying again?”

“He was saying,” The stranger started, her tone slightly irritated, “He needs you to check his back for bruises.” She crossed her arms and watched Peridot expectantly, who blinked, clearly offended.

“Jesus, sorry I zoned out for five seconds and ruined your entire day.” Peridot mumbled, lifting Steven’s shirt, his coat already in his hands. She tried her best to hide the victorious smirk growing on her face as she spotted the girl’s eyes narrowing in annoyance. She checked for any signs of damage, only finding a red scrape along Steven’s lower back. She clicked her tongue, dropping the boy’s shirt back down and looked up at him, giving him a reassuring smile. “Just a scrape; you’re fine.”

Steven sighed in relief and chuckled, watching as Peridot straightened herself up again. “Thank goodness! I didn’t wanna have a nasty scar for christmas! Mom would’ve killed both of us!” Steven and the blonde shared a laugh, before the boy turned to the stranger, offering another smile. “After helped me up and everything, I never got your name!”

The blue haired girl blinked, her gaze darting between Peridot and Steven. “Oh, well, I’m Lapis.” She gave the boy a smile, tilting her head in confusion when he gasped.

“Oh my stars! You and Peri both are named after gemstones!” He squealed, looking between the two teenagers. Lapis’s gaze shot to Peridot, confused.

“Peri? That’s not a gemstone.” The girl looked between the two, not getting the other girl’s nickame.

Peridot cleared her throat, clearly taken aback by the girl’s ignorance of her name. “Peridot. My name’s Peridot.” She watched as Lapis nodded, just now realizing what Peridot’s nickname entailed.

“And I’m Steven!” The boy proclaimed, throwing his arms up excitedly. Lapis chuckled at the boy, hunching over with her hands on her knees so she was level with the curly haired boy.

“Well Steven, can I tell you a secret?” She asked, her eyes shining with amusement as they boy enthusiastically nodded; the girl preceded to whisper loud enough for Peridot to hear. “I think you’re pretty freaking awesome.” She grinned at him, watching at the boy gasped.

“Really?!”

“Really.”

Peridot rolled her eyes at the two, pulling her phone out of her pocket to see if she had any messages. When the screen turned on, she gasped, turning to look at the crowded docks. “Shit!” She grabbed her bag from the car, and grabbed Steven’s hand, yanking him away from Lapis.

“Peri? What’s going on?!”

“We’re gonna miss the boat! Your parents are waiting for us on board!”

Lapis bounded, stopping the two by leaping in front of them, throwing her hands in front of them. “Hold on! I can get you guys on that boat in seconds. Follow me.”

Peridot blinked, shocked at the girl’s statement. “How? You’re not the captain.”

Lapis smirked, causing a strange feeling to tingle in Peridot’s stomach. “I may not be the captain, but I do work on the ships. Just follow my lead.” With that, she lead the two behind the buildings, cutting through the line to what Peridot assumed to be the employee’s own ramps to the boats. “Where’s your destination?” She asked, peeking at Peridot’s ticket.

“Miami.” She answered, gazing in awe at how big the ships were.

“Alright, follow my lead. You have to go along with what I say for this to work.”

Steven nodded, determined while Peridot hesitated, narrowing her eyes at Lapis. “Is this even legal? We did just meet you, I doubt you actually work on these ships, don’t you have to be like twenty five?” The blonde rambled, watching as Lapis rolled her eyes.

“I’ll prove it to you. Trust me baby.”

“Baby?!” Peridot sputtered, her face reddening as Lapis continued walking as if she hadn’t said anything. They approached a man with a scruffy brown beard wearing an all white uniform. Lapis gave him a smile, and his face brightened.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite longshoreman? What’s up Lapis?” The man grinned, giving the girl a tight hug which Lapis reciprocated, smiling.

“Jerry! My girlfriend and her brother are going on one of the ships, you mind if I let them on?” She grabbed Peridot’s hand, entwining their fingers as Peridot reeled. Girlfriend?! Her skin warmed as Lapis stroked her thumb over the top of her hand.

“Oh, of course, how could I say no to young love? Step on by.” The man stepped aside, giving the three room to pass.

“Jerry, you know you’re the best!” Lapis threw up her free hand for a fist pump before turning to Peridot, and without warning, pecked her on the cheek. “Come on babe, I wanna show you around the ship.” She murmured in her ear, just loud enough for Jerry to hear. The blonde’s breath hitched at the girl’s breath, warm on her neck, and her cheek still tingling from where Lapis’s lips had been.

The three walked for a few moments, Lapis and Peridot hand in hand before Lapis stopped, untangling their hands and stepping away, turning to face the two travelers. “Well, this is as far as I can go; I have to help load some gear on board.” She nodded to the left. “Second to last ship on your left.”

Steven tilted his head, disappointment in his eyes. “Aren’t you working on our cruise?”

Lapis’s eyes softened, and she smiled before ruffling the boy’s hair. “I’m working on another ship this month unfortunately, so this is goodbye I’m afraid.” She pulled the boy into a light hug, chucking when he tightened his grip as if he didn’t want to let go. “You’re a cool kid, Steven. Don’t forget that.” She turned to Peridot, her eyes shining with amusement. “And I’m sorry our ship date didn’t last longer.”

Peridot giggled, snorting and tightened her grip on her duffel when she noticed Lapis’s gaze had softened, a smile gracing her lips. “What?” She asked, tilting her head at the girl’s looks.

Lapis scrunched her nose, smiling. “Nothing. I’ll see you around.”

Peridot opened her mouth to say something, anything, but Steven interrupted, crying out. “Will we ever see you again?”

Lapis smiled, winking at the boy. “I’m a new place every week kiddo. But the world works in mysterious ways. Maybe one day, we’ll cross paths again.”

Steven nodded happily as Peridot cleared her throat. “Thanks for all your help.” She smiled, watching as Lapis’s eyes softened.

“Anytime.” The blue haired girl answered, winking. Peridot blushed and Lapis gave the two a final nod, and turned, strolling away with a hop to her step. The girl watched her go, a small smile growing on her face.

“Peridot, come on!” Steven took the girl’s hand, dragging her away. “She said the last boat to the left right?”

“Yeah, I think.” Peridot was still dazed as they climbed up the ramp, Steven dragging his suitcase, skipping excitedly.

Peridot whipped her phone out, texting Rose and Greg, letting the two know they’d boarded. She turned to the boy, grabbing his hand.

“Let’s find your parents, kiddo; they have to be somewhere on deck.”

Steven nodded, craning his neck to catch a possible glimpse of them. As the two searched, the boat began to move, the horn sounding as it picked up speed. It was around twenty minutes before Peridot’s stomach began to drop. Something wasn’t right; Rose and Greg were always good about waiting in a visible place and sticking to their word. This was so unlike them.

A speaker sounded above the electronic music that had been playing softly, booming as a woman spoke. “Welcome everyone to Homeworld Cruises. Our destination, Hawaii will he reached in one week. We ask you sit back, relax, and enjoy your time with us at our twenty four hour buffet, our one of our three pools, one including four water slides! Enjoy your stay with us, and thank you for choosing Homeworld Cruises.”

Peridot’s blood went cold as the intercom beeped off. She looked at Steven, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped.

At the same time, they spoke.

“We’re on the wrong ship.”


End file.
